Remotely controlled hoist for wrecking trucks



United States Patent REMOTELY CONTROLLED HOIST FOR WRECK- ING TRUCKS Lee A. Donatelli, Erie, Pa.

Application September 11, 1952, Serial No. 309,068

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-86) This invention relates to working cranes and hoists and more particularly to cranes and hoists to be transported by means of atruck or other vehicle for lifting, towing, and otherwise moving automobiles and trucks.

Previous hoists and Wreckers for towing and hoisting have made use of hand winches or winches driven by the motor of a truck upon which the hoist was mounted for winding a hoisting cable to lift the vehicle or load which was to be towed.

When a hand winch or a truck motor was used, it was necessary for the operator to be adjacent the tow truck when the cable was being retracted. This necessitated either an additional person to attach the cable to the vehicle and adjust it as tension was applied to the cable or the winch operator had to leave his position at the winch and walk to the back of the truck to adjust the cable and occasionally inspect the lifting process of the vehicle as it progressed. This caused considerable lost time and inconvenience to the operator. Using a hand winch was laborious as well as inconvenient and a winch driven by the truck motor required expensive clutching and gearing equipment.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other defects in present hoisting and towing equipment by providing a hoisting mechanism that is electrically operated and can be controlled from a place adjacent to the load to be lifted.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a hoisting mechanism which can be conveniently transported by an automotive truck.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hoisting mechanism which can be swung into a position where it will not obstruct the use of the truck bedfor other purposes when the hoist is not in use. J

Another purpose of the invention is to provide a hoisting mechanism which can be operated by an electric motor from an automobile battery.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel control means wherein the control will not be damaged when the control means is pressed to operate it in two different opposing directions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel hoisting mechanism driven by an electric motor wherein the motor can be adapted to operate from a number of diiferentvantages. g

Another object of the invention is to'provide a novel hoisting mechanism which will be simple in design, economical in manufacture, convenient to use, and adaptable for use in a number of different applications.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel hoisting mechanism wherein the control of the mechanism can be operated from a point remote from the truck which carries the hoist.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the hoisting means in accordance with the invention; and i Fig. 2 is a wiring diagram showing the control circuit for the motor.

Patented Jan. 25, 1955 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a hoisting mechanism 10 supported on a truck platform 11. The hoist has a boom pivotally supported on channel 14 at 25 and pivotally carried on legs 1 at 26. Legs 1 are pivoted to block 23 at 27. Cross member 18 is made up of rail 22 and blocks 23 secured to rail 22 by welding or any other well known fabricating means. The assembly comprising rail 22 and blocks 23 is attached by welding or any other fastening means to channel 24. The boom is made up of tubular member 3 into which is telescopically engaged tubular member 2 and reinforcing collar member 28 is engaged with tubular member 2 at 29 and with tubular member 3 at 30. Tubular member 3 is supported on plate member 32 by saddle members 33 which are secured to plate member 32 by welding or other well known fabricating means and tubular member 3 is held in saddle members 33 by means of U-shaped bolts 34. Motor 8 and drum 7 are mounted on plate 32 by well known mounting means. Motor 8 is geared to drum 7 through a reduction means indicated at 35. Head member 36 has plate member 4 fitted into tubular member 2 and head 36 is pivotal therein at 37 and has an outwardly projecting bracket member 38 which carries sheave 5. Cable 6 is attached to bearing member 40 by hook 41 and extends around sheave 42 and then back up around sheave 5 through thetubular members 2 and 3 and is wrapped around drum 7. Arms 43 are pivoted to block members 23 at 44 and their ends remote from blocks 23 are welded to ring 13 at 45. A hook 12 is attached to the bearing block 46 which carries sheave 42 and chain 47 is adapted to be attached to hook 12. The ends of chain 47 extend downwardly through ring 13 and terminate in hooks 48. Hooks 48 are adapted to be attached to the framework of an automobile or truck which is to be towed. The armature 50 of motor 8 is connected in the circuit as shown in Fig. 2. Battery 51 is shown as a six volt battery but the motor armature 50 and the motor field 57 of the motor 8 could be wound for use with a motor six, twelve, eighteen, twenty-four, or any desired voltage. Battery 51 may be used for operating motor 8 exclusively or the battery used to operate the truck whereon the hoist is carried may be used to operate motor 8. in either event, a generator driven by the truck may be used to charge battery 51. The relays 52, 53, 54, and 55 are adapted to control the motor in the following manner:

The positive side of the battery 51 is connected by wire 56 to one side of motor field 57 and the otherside of motor field 57 is connected by wire 58 to terminal 59 on relay 54. Terminal 59 is in turn connected by wire 60 to battery 51 on relay 53. Terminal 62 is connected to one side of the motor armature by wire 63. This same wire further extends to terminal 64 on relay 52. The negative side of the battery is connected to ground at 65 and extends around wire 66 to terminal 67. Wire 66 is connected to wire 68 which in turn is connected to terminal 69 and relay 55. The other side of the motor armature is connected at 70 through terminal 71 on relay 55. Terminal 71 is connected by wire 72 to terminal 73 on relay 54. p The wire 56 from the positive side of the batteryis also connected through wire 74 to terminal 75 on push button 16 and also connected to terminal 76 on the same push button. Terminal 77 on push button 16 is connected through wire 78 to terminal 79 on push button 17. Terminal 80 on push button 16 is connected through wire 81 to terminal 82 on push button 17 Terminal 83 on push button 17 is connected through wire 84 to one side of the solenoid of relay 52 at 85 and to the terminal 86 of the solenoid of relay 54. Terminal 87 of push button 17 is connected through wire 88 to the terminal 89 of the solenoid of relay 55.

In operation, the hoist is preferably mounted on an automotive truck by placing the channels 14 and 24 on the truck bed or truck platform. The channel 14 can preferably be bolted down to the truck platform and the channel 24 can freely rest on the platform. This will enable the entire hoisting means to be pivoted along pivot point 25 into the position shown in phantom lines at by pivoting the entire boom about point 25 and allowing the legs 1 to swing backward around pivot point 26 into alignment with the boom.

When the hoisting mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. 1, the channel 14 -will be bolted to the truck platform 11 and the channel 24 will be resting on the platform. Then the motor ,is operated to unwind the cable 6 from the drum 7 so that the sheave 42 carrying hook 12 will move downwardly to allow the chain 47 to pass through ring 13 and allow the hooks 48 to be attached to a stalled automobile or some other load which is desired to be lifted. The operator can ,carry the control box 15 to the rear end of the truck carrying the hoist ,so that he can operate the motor 8 by pressing zone of the buttons on the control 15 to unreel more cable; he can handle the control box 15 with one hand and attach the hooks 48 with the other hand; and he can operate the motor to take up the slack in the chain 47 at will at his position adjacent the hooks 48. The switch panel 101 is provided with a reeling mechanism for reeling the cable 102 when the control box 15 is not in use. The fact that the hoisting mechanism and control are made in such a way that the operator can operate the motor through control 15 and at the ,same time adjust the chain 47 is an important part of this invention.

The operation of the control circuit is as follows: When push button 16 on control 15 is depressed so that terminals 76 and 80 are connected together, a circuit will be completed from plus side of the battery through wire 74 through terminals 75, 76, 80, 82, and 83 through wire 84 to terminal 85 and solenoid of relay 52 will be energized which will cause the solenoid to actuate the armature 90 of the relay to close and cause a circuit to be completed between the terminals 64 and 67. At the same time, a circuit will be completed through wire 84 to terminal 86 .and the solenoid of relay 54 will be energized which will cause the armature 91 of relay 54 to close and connect terminals 59 and 73. This will complete a circuit through wire 72 to terminal 70 on motor armature 50. Terminal 92 of motor armature 50 will be connected through wire 93 through terminal 64 and relay .52 to armature 90 .to terminal 67 through wire 66 to the negative side of the battery and one side of motor field 57 will be connected to the positive terminal of the battery through wire 56 and the other side of the field will be connected through wire 58, terminal 59, armature 91, and terminal .73 through wire 72 to terminal 70 of the motor, .thereby connecting the field of the motor in series with the armature and causing the motor to drive in one direction.

To illustrate the operation of the motor in the other direction if the push button 16 is not depressed and left in the normal .position shown in Fig. 2 and push button 17 is depressed, the circuit will be completed from the plus ,sideof the battery through terminals 75 and 77 through wire 78 and terminal 79 through terminal v87 to the solenoid .of relay 53 through wire 88 and to terminal 89 on relay 55. This will cause the armatures 95 and 96 of relays 54 and 55 to close and a circuit will be completed on the positive side of the battery through wire 56 through the motor field through wire 58, terminal 59, battery 51, the .armature 95, .and terminal 62 through Wire 63 to terminal 92 on the armature of the motor and from wire 70 through terminal 71, armature 96, terminal 69, wire 68, terminal 67, wire 66 ,to the negative side of the battery, causing current to flow through the motor armature in the opposite direction and causing the motor to reverse.

If the operator should inadvertently press push buttons 16 and 17 simultaneously, .terminals 76 and will be connected together by the push button 16 and terminals 83 and 92 on push button 17 will be open. Therefore, since the circuit through the push buttons is interrupted and an open circuit results, no current can flow from the battery through the push buttons and no damage to the motor or equipment can result.

In .the foregoing specification, I have set forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but I am aware that the structure shown is capable of modification within the range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A hoist for lifting and towing automotive vehicles comprising a first and a second frame member, said first and second frame members comprising channel members adapted :to :be disposed in spaced relation on the platform of a towing yehicle and adapted to be disposed transversely and adapted to extend .over a substantial area thereof and to be firmly attached thereto, an electric motor and .a drum mounted on said support, said sup- :por pivotal-1y at ached to sai first fr m mem er, a tubular boom attached to ,said first frame member, a tubular boom attached to said support and swingable therewith about said pivot, a head pivotally attached to said boom at the end thereof remote from said support, .a sheave rotatably mounted on said head, a cable ex- (tending through said tubular member and disposed generally tangentto the periphery of said drum and said sheave, legs piyotally connected to said second frame member and piyotally connected to said boom at a point spaced ,a substantial distance from said pivotal connection between said support and said first frame member, and arms swingably attached to said second frame member andhaving a ring attached thereto at the end thereof remote from saidsecond frame member, said ring adapted to receive a towing member attached to said cable whereby a load may be attached to said towing member, said f rst frame member being releasable from said towing vehicle platform whereby said second frame member may be moved toward said first frame, said legs swinging about the pivotal connection to said boom whereby said boom may be swung into lowered relation in said towing vehicle.

,2. The hoist Iecited in claim l wherein said legs are ialttaghed to said boom at the end thereof adjacent said ea References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,288,418 Ihlder, Dec. 17, 1918 1,544,477 Palotce June 30, 1925 1,848,315 Cage Mar. '8, 1932 2,032,654 Perrier Mar. 3, 1936 2,145,378 Trippensee Jan. 31, 1939 2,254,083 Nickles et al. Aug. 26, 1941 2,450,798 .Heinss Oct. 5, 1948 2,479,009 Holmes et al. Aug. 16, 1949 2,497,379 Vandergrift, Sr., et al. Feb. 14, 1950 2,510,028 Ulinski' May 30, 1950 2,581,333 Vawter Jan. 1, 1952 

